The Focus90 Protocol

Okay, now that you've got your goals defined and broken down into clear milestones and tasks, what next? How can you ensure that you make real progress towards those goals? How can you reduce your time wasting during your work session?

That's where F90 comes in.

The Most Effective Deep Work Protocol

The Focus-90 Protocol is a "stack", combining many different productivity boosters into one simple solution.

The protocol is made up of 3 separate stages. The first stage primes your brain for a productive work session, the second stage is where you do your deeply focused, distraction free work and the third stage is designed to set you up for improvement over the long term.

Here are the steps in the F90 protocol:

1) Remove All Distractions

The most effective way to work is deep work. Cal Newport wrote an entire, best selling book on this topic, showcasing the science behind why deeply engaged, distraction free work is the way in which high performers do their thing.

That's why the first step in the protocol is all about ensuring a distraction free environment. Turn your phone off or into do-not-disturb mode, close your email app, messaging apps, close your social media browser tabs and any other thing you have open that you don't need for your current work session.

2) Start a 90 Minute Timer

Since the phone is a source of distraction, I recommend using something else to time your session. You can use a simple website like e.ggtimer.com/90minutes to do it. Or a timer on your watch, if you wear one. Or a kitchen timer.

Doesn't really matter. All you need is a timer that will notify you after 90 minutes.

3) Answer the Opening Prompts

To prime yourself for a highly productive session, answer these questions in writing:

1. What is the most important thing for me to work on during this session?
   
2. Why is this important? How does it fit into the bigger picture?
   
3. What's the most exciting, positive thing about this?
   

You don't have to spend a lot of time on this. One or two sentences for each prompt is enough. But don't underestimate the effect of this step: it helps you focus in on what matters and it contains several elements that have been shown to reduce procrastination and increase goal achievement.

4) Do the Work

Now, get stuck in and single-task away at your most important thing until the timer is up.

Here's the deal. Until those 90 minutes are up, you can only do one of two things: you can either do the work or you can sit here and be bored.

Don't allow yourself distractions during this time. Don't reach for your phone, check social media, look for the perfect playlist, check your email... don't do any of the things you will have the itch to do, as soon as you come to the limit of your focus span.

Every time you give in and distract yourself, you are weakening your ability to focus. And every time you resist and keep going, you are strengthening the focus muscle. The more you do it, the better you get at it.

5) Answer the Review Prompts

Once the timer is up, close off your work session by answering these prompts in writing:

1. How did this Focus-90 session go? Anything you can improve for future sessions?
   
2. What feels best about having done this?
   

Again, one or two minutes is all it takes, but this short review makes a big difference.

And that's it! You've successfully completed a Focus-90 work session and this will become your new, super productive approach to getting shit done.

Your task today is to do your first F90 work session.